So, another week and its all change again with the Edinburgh trams. The Scottish parliament voted yea and the executive, maybe surprisingly, has decided to go along with this. Personally, as previously expressed, I'm disappointed in this - I think the trams are a waste of money that could be better spent elsewhere and will benefit the vast majority of the city. What does this mean - well obviously its a climb down from their manifesto pledge. More worringly it leaves a £500 million hole in their budget, so something else is going to have to give.
But, to look at things a different way - it shows a readiness on the part of the executive to be bound by the wishes of the parliament. Given that the trend both north and south of the border under New Labour has been a weakening of the authority of our democratic institutions, I, for one, see this as a very positive sign.
In terms of matters more general, with the new parliament soon to enter its third month, it is the Tories who seem to have adapted themselves to the new political situation the best. Whilst Labour and the Lib Dems were still sulking and throwing their toys out of the pram, the tories surprisingly propped the executive up in some key votes, getting the areas where their agenda coincided progressed.
Whether it will happen or not I don't know, but the idea of the tories backing the SNP for an early referendum on independance would also be a masterstroke. Think about - if there was a vote next year, so soon into the SNP administration, independance would not win out, but the tories would be perfectly positioned as the champions of the union whilst Labour and Lib Dems are still in shock. It would be seen as a Tory victory - giving them a poll boost just one year before the general election, when they will need to make inroads in Scotland in order to challenge the Labour majority.
I might not agree with Annabel Goldie on most things, but I'm beginning to forma a grudging respect for her.
2 comments:
Hi Tony
I'm surprised none of the other main parties has had the balls to call for Salmond to "put up or shut up". A public backing for a referendum, say next year, would force his hand. He would then either have to go back on his main manifesto commitment, or go ahead and lose. Not sure how he would get out of that with a smug grin.
Hi Ant,
Nice to hear from you - hope all's going well in the land of civil-servantdom.
I don't think I'm quite as negative about Mr Salmond as you, although still not sure how much I trust him, but agree that so far both Labour and Lib Dems have been very slow and very weak at responding to the new situation and trying to work out how to handle things.
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